Local residents and fishermen have allegedly been barred from accessing a beach on Tolandona island in Wakatobi, South Sulawesi, that has been leased to a foreigner.

Metro TV reported on Friday that One Mobaa beach had been leased by the land owner, Baharuddin, to a Swiss citizen in 1996. The lease is for a duration of 20 to 30 years. A number of resorts have since been built at the location. For a weeklong stay on the secluded strip, tourists reportedly pay as much as $4000.

Locals are now banned from accessing the beach area, which is frequented by foreign tourists. The leasing of the beach to the foreigner and the access restrictions are technically not illegal, but have angered some in the community. Local fisherman have also complained that their incomes have been reduced by the ban.

In a strange twist, the Swiss national has also reportedly banned local government officers from entering the property. Wakatobi district head Hugua told Metro TV that he was under the impression that the site was owned by the foreigner.

Island leasing has been a hot issue in Indonesia for years. In August the issue resurfaced after a Web site, privateislandsonline.com, claimed to have an Indonesian island available to rent – namely Siloinak, located in the Mentawai region in West Sumatra.

At the time, a spokesman from the Fisheries Justice Coalition (Kiara) urged the government and the House of Representatives to investigate foreign involvement in managing and trading Indonesia's islands.

He also said that the government should replace policies that could lead to the privatization of small islands, as outlined in a 2003 law.